To me, the chief value of reading the Upanishads is simply the amazing stories that I find buried beneath layers of terse philosophical expositions. This is one of the several reasons why I hold the self-affirmed conviction that the Upanishads has something for everyone.

One such story is–for want of a better title–the story of DA.

The story occurs in the Fifth Chapter of the Second Brahmana of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The Brihadaranyaka (literally, great-forest Upanishad) is one of the longer Upanishads and forms the basis for several philosophical concepts of Hinduism like different forms of worship and meditation, and the highly-acclaimed Neti vada (arriving at the Truth by negation).

The story of DA is at once symbolic and down-to-earth. It contains strands of philosophy, mysticism, and insights into human nature.

The story deals with three different beings with different faculties and dispositions: the Gods, who were immortal, always in a state of happiness, and endowed with an unlimited capacity to enjoy pleasure; the humans who were restless and selfish, and passed through cycles of pleasure and pain, and finally, the demons who revelled in inflicting pain on others.

The story begins with the three beings in a state of prolonged discontentment. Unable to find the source for this unexplained unhappiness, they meditate upon Prajapati, the Lord of all Creatures for instruction. By way of answer, Prajapati utters just the syllable DA to each being. And their problem is solved.

The Gods (Devas/Celestial Beings) understand DA to mean Damyata (to control, restraint), human beings take DA as Datta (to give away as in charity), and demons (Asuras) interpret DA as Daya (compassion). This teaching has several interesting layers. At one level, it can mean you interpret any teaching according to your mental makeup, influences, and other dynamics. At another level, it brings out the essential nature of different gunas (quality).

The Gods who had unlimited pleasure at their disposal soon got tired of too-much-of-the-good-thing. Which is why they understood DA as the need for exercising restraint in enjoyment. Humans, who by nature are given to selfishness and hoarding understood that to let go at times is good. The demons, similarly realized that discontentment is the result of having a destructive nature, and therefore found value in compassion. The antidote to anger is mercy.

Understandably, the concept of Gods and Demons is hard to accept as true today. However, the validity of the concept isn’t diluted if it is understood symbolically. For example, a person given to excessive pleasure finds his/her energies dissipated. Notice Emerson echoes something similar in every excess causes a defect; every defect an excess.

It is both interesting and mysterious, the way Prajapati imparts the teaching. He does not reveal himself, he utters DA as a thunder-sound. T.S. Eliot has borrowed liberally from this in the final part of his Waste Land, which is titled WHAT THE THUNDER SAID:

Then spoke the thunder
DA
Datta: what have we given? [...]

DA

Dayadhvam: I have heard the key
Turn in the door once and turn once only
We think of the key, each in his prison
Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison [...]

DA
Damyata: The boat responded
Gaily, to the hand expert with sail and oar
The sea was calm, your heart would have responded 420
Gaily, when invited, beating obedient
To controlling hands

Some more Upanishadic stories when it catches my fancy.

Crossposted on Desicritics.